Good evening all,

This is my first post on this forum - please forgive me if this has been discussed before, but I have tried to use the search and not managed to find any information that I wanted.

I'm planning on moving to a Fabia vRS from a Corsa, so it'll be a nice step in the right direction. I've got a maximum of £6k to spend, so have currently been looking at models ranging from an 04 plate, to 06/56 plates, with varying mileage.

The info I'm after, if possible, is the sort of stuff to look out for when buying one. I've seen about the door seals, but what else is there?

The info required is:

• Common problems/issues
  
• Changes to spec (related to year)
  
• Service intervals, inc. cambelt/waterpump
  
• Other info you think useful!
  

Thanks a lot, I'm very grateful for any help I get!

Cheers,

Tom

Welcome to the forum

Common problems

Wishbone(console bushes) splitting. commonly seem to fail at around 45k-50k...sometimes even earlier.

Engine mount seems to be a big issue

Anti roll bar collars/bushes

door seals as you mentioned

Most issues seem to be suspension related but the turbo and clutch can also fail especially if driven too hard. i.e. flooring it below 1500rpm and you check if its been remapped or had history of it.

Edited 5 August, 201015 yr by newskoda

Thank you for the info, much appreciated.

Does anybody else have anything to add?

The "flap" part of the wheel-arch liner (which overhangs the sill) can rub the paint on either end of the sill, causing bare metal to show and rust. I think there may be some electrical issues to do with the steering angle sensor (or my memory may be playing tricks on me).

Edited 6 August, 201015 yr by martinch

I've just sold my 04/54 vRS at 64,500 for £4,500 part-ex.

Generally it was very reliable - during that time I only topped the oil up once (at approx 6k) and didn't have to replace any of the brake pads and/or discs, or any of the wiper blades, though a bulb or two blew. A clip holding the sunvisor up broke but the part only cost about £1.50

The car "broke down" four times however. At 21,000 miles the turbo pipe disconnected behind the intercooler - leading to a serious loss of power and masses of black smoke. The AA put it back together but my garage refused to take it in to look at it, so it broke again the next day fortunately only a mile from home. The garage (at the time - changed since) refused to accept it was faulty - despite my assertion that the lugs supposedly keeping the pipe together weren't up to the job and the car was still under guarantee. I repaired it with a big hose clip clamping around it - which the garage disapproved of - but it was fine afterwards.

At about 50,000 miles the same symptoms happened but I discovered the pipe had blown at the top end this time and I clipped it together again - no problems since. This was just after having the cambelt changed and clearly the garage - my current one - hadn't clipped the pipe together properly on reassembly. The cambelt was replaced at the newly advised 60,000 mile/ 4 year interval.

The fourth time it broke down - at about 60,000 miles - I had to have the steering rack replaced, This may have been connected with having to have two bellows replaced following finding pinholes at the MOT at 54,000 miles - but I couldn't prove it.

At around 48,000 I had to have two bushes in the front suspension replaced.

When I sold it I think the rear brakes were getting to a rebuild point.

I never appeared to have the "wet rear footwell" problem - despite water collecting on the bottom of the door opening it never seemed to track inwards.

May sure if it matters to your that the service history is complete - the service interval requirements are rather confusing.

Sorry - just remembered this one answering another thread:

The car was serviced in Autumn 2009 and since I don't use the washers liberally they hadn't needed a refill before the cold winter, whereupon they froze and subsequently the front bulkhead joint popped (something I missed to mention on another thread recently).

The tailgate struts also became weaker though still held the door up.

Make sure if it matters to your that the service history is complete - the service interval requirements are rather confusing.

Thanks for all that - can I also ask what the service intervals are then? I've found a decent one on a 56 plate, with 39k on the clock. Am I right that this should have already had its cambelt done, or is it due that now?

Thanks,

Tom

Thanks for all that - can I also ask what the service intervals are then? I've found a decent one on a 56 plate, with 39k on the clock. Am I right that this should have already had its cambelt done, or is it due that now?

Cam belt is every 4 years or 60k miles, whichever is sooner. Oil is every 10k miles or year, whichever is sooner (short journeys are harder on the oil). Inspection service is supposed to be every year. There are other things done every 2 years/3 years or 20k/40k/60k miles - they're in the Service Schedule booklet you should get with the car.

Thanks for all that - can I also ask what the service intervals are then? I've found a decent one on a 56 plate, with 39k on the clock. Am I right that this should have already had its cambelt done, or is it due that now?

Similar to the previous answer. I've previously downloaded some useful Excel Skoda service schedules from somewhere - I'll try and find whether they're still available out there.

Assuming the mileage is approximately even during its life that's approx 10k pa hence it should have had a yearly Inspection service (not just an oil change), a two yearly brake fluid change, and the cambelt will be due very shortly (depending on whether it's an early or late 56). I've just bought a 3 year old car and tried to get them to change the cambelt - they wouldn't, but gave me a £150 voucher towards it.

Try THIS LINK

Thanks a lot guys, extremely helpful! Hopefully going to see it on Friday, so I may be back on next week as a fully fledged briskodian